Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure for me to
stand in the House of Assembly today to recognize the
efforts of students and staff at James Cooke Memorial
School in Cooke’s Harbour for standing up to bullying.
The international Stand Up Against Bullying Day was
started after two senior students in Nova Scotia stood
up for a freshman student who was being bullied for
wearing a pink shirt. The thirty-four students and four
teachers of James Cooke Memorial are one of 1,000
schools, workplaces and organizations participating and
represent more than 500,000 people who have taken the
pledge.
The students and staff participated in a number of
events to bring awareness to this growing problem. The
primary class acted out scenes to identify bullying and
drew posters. The intermediate students held discussions
and the senior students watched videos and participated
in a question and answer session. The student council
also designed a bullying box in which incidents of
bullying were submitted anonymously.
Mr. Speaker, I ask all members of this House to join
with me in commending the students and staff of James
Cooke Memorial School for taking a stand against
bullying and extend to them the very best wishes for
continued success in any future projects they may take
on.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
